Do you judge people driving clean, scuff free vans as well or only truck drivers?
I use my truck for work but other than having a roof rack you probably wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a work truck from the outside. When it gets dirty, I wash it, and when it gets dents or scratches I fix them. I don’t want it to look like a beater.
Yeah Sorry, I should have said I’m not American. I’m Dutch. I’ve been to the USA and these things “fit” better in a car-centric society. At least there is room.
But even there I still question it’s usefulness, you cannot see right in front of you. You’d miss wheelchairs, children, etc. And van’s can usually carry more the the flatbed of a truck.
I’m not American either - I’m from Finland. I’ve been to the Netherlands, and I can’t quite imagine owning a truck there either.
However, your criticism was about clean, scuff-free trucks broadly. If you had said that you judge people for owning a truck when they have no practical need for one, I wouldn’t have any issue with that. But that’s not what you said.
I don’t own one of those gigantic American trucks, but a mid-size one - think Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi L200, Nissan Navara, or Isuzu D-Max. The external dimensions and hood height on those are comparable to similarly sized work vans. So when someone needs a vehicle capable of hauling cargo, it’s basically a choice between a truck and a van - and there’s not much difference between the two in terms of pedestrian safety.
I’d even argue a truck might be safer, because you generally have better all-around visibility. Vans tend to have very limited rear visibility due to the enclosed cargo area. You could argue that a van is more convenient for hauling certain types of cargo, but that’s a separate discussion about practicality - not safety.
Well I agree. My first reaction was a bit tongue-in-cheek. On purpose to conjure a very specific image; A person owning a huge monster truck without the intention of using it for it’s intended purpose but for propping up one’s ego.
Or these:
p.s. Vans have camera’s these days, allowing you to even see the ground underneath your fender. So even better then you could ever get with just your mirror’s.
A 4x4 truck with its big wheels and high ground clearance are features that allow the truck to move off-road. These features have the unfortunate side effect of making them dangerous to other road users, and very uneconomical / environmentally unfriendly. They also take up a lot of space.
Work vans and most cars are capable of driving on a building site or track.
Hood height, engine size, and the physical exterior dimensions of many vans are similar to those of pickup trucks. When used for work, it often just comes down to personal preference. One key difference is towing capacity - most vans are limited to around 750 kg, whereas trucks typically offer much more. Mine can tow up to 3000 kg.
Edit: Also, rear visibility in a van is much worse due to the enclosed cargo area. With a truck, you pretty much have 360-degree visibility.
Ford makes (or at least made) and E-350 van. It can tow anything your truck can. And seat 11 people. And keep your equipment secured and safe from the elements. And it has a backup camera.
Do you judge people driving clean, scuff free vans as well or only truck drivers?
I use my truck for work but other than having a roof rack you probably wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a work truck from the outside. When it gets dirty, I wash it, and when it gets dents or scratches I fix them. I don’t want it to look like a beater.
Yeah Sorry, I should have said I’m not American. I’m Dutch. I’ve been to the USA and these things “fit” better in a car-centric society. At least there is room.
But even there I still question it’s usefulness, you cannot see right in front of you. You’d miss wheelchairs, children, etc. And van’s can usually carry more the the flatbed of a truck.
I’m not American either - I’m from Finland. I’ve been to the Netherlands, and I can’t quite imagine owning a truck there either.
However, your criticism was about clean, scuff-free trucks broadly. If you had said that you judge people for owning a truck when they have no practical need for one, I wouldn’t have any issue with that. But that’s not what you said.
I don’t own one of those gigantic American trucks, but a mid-size one - think Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi L200, Nissan Navara, or Isuzu D-Max. The external dimensions and hood height on those are comparable to similarly sized work vans. So when someone needs a vehicle capable of hauling cargo, it’s basically a choice between a truck and a van - and there’s not much difference between the two in terms of pedestrian safety.
I’d even argue a truck might be safer, because you generally have better all-around visibility. Vans tend to have very limited rear visibility due to the enclosed cargo area. You could argue that a van is more convenient for hauling certain types of cargo, but that’s a separate discussion about practicality - not safety.
Well I agree. My first reaction was a bit tongue-in-cheek. On purpose to conjure a very specific image; A person owning a huge monster truck without the intention of using it for it’s intended purpose but for propping up one’s ego.
A Toyoto Hilux is not something I would consider. More along the lines of: https://www.hotcars.com/the-sickest-lifted-trucks-weve-seen-in-2020/
Or these:
p.s. Vans have camera’s these days, allowing you to even see the ground underneath your fender. So even better then you could ever get with just your mirror’s.
A 4x4 truck with its big wheels and high ground clearance are features that allow the truck to move off-road. These features have the unfortunate side effect of making them dangerous to other road users, and very uneconomical / environmentally unfriendly. They also take up a lot of space.
Work vans and most cars are capable of driving on a building site or track.
Hood height, engine size, and the physical exterior dimensions of many vans are similar to those of pickup trucks. When used for work, it often just comes down to personal preference. One key difference is towing capacity - most vans are limited to around 750 kg, whereas trucks typically offer much more. Mine can tow up to 3000 kg.
Edit: Also, rear visibility in a van is much worse due to the enclosed cargo area. With a truck, you pretty much have 360-degree visibility.
Ford makes (or at least made) and E-350 van. It can tow anything your truck can. And seat 11 people. And keep your equipment secured and safe from the elements. And it has a backup camera.
What’s your point? That thing is bigger than my pickup.
The point is that both of your points are factually incorrect.
Which points exactly?
Nah, you can read it again.